Tough Guy
by mariko05
Summary: Mary's tough. She'll get over it. She'll get over her sister's betrayal, her partner's abandonment, and her boss' disappointment. Sometimes all she wants is to blow out the kneecaps of whoever told her being a US Marshal would bring her satisfaction.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I, unfortunately, do not own anything.

**Note**: The line "Why does trouble follow you around?" is from _Veronica Mars_.

_If you like to review_:

What should happen to Mary? Should she get together with Marshall? Should Brandi go to jail? Should Mary kick her and Jinx out of the house?

_Looking forward to your reviews!_

**Pairing**: Most likely Mary/Marshall, Brandi/Raphael (_Chico_)…but I haven't made a definitive decision yet. I'm starting to like Detective O'Conner…but that could be because he's so good looking! I hope they bring him back in season two and on _Brothers and Sisters_!

Tough Guy

_You're not a character in a Hammett novel, Mary. You have the skills, but not the means to beat five guys on your own. God, I wish that Marshall were here. He would bore them to death with his knowledge of marketing statistics. Unfortunately, I was the one to promote him to Brandi surveillance._

"_Oh sweetheart_…" calls one of the greasy, gruff looking scumbags that drugged me and dragged me off to _this place_. I can only tell you that it's disgusting and infested with rats. I swear to God, if he calls me sweetheart one more time…

The poor excuse for a man is staggering down the stairs, obviously drunk, and holding a bottle of beer. I'm ready for him. I've been stretching despite that they've handcuffed me to a well-placed pole. I tell Chuck to shut up if he knows what's good for him. Oh, and I tell him that he is never to see my sister again (if he knows what's good for him).

The scumbag is swaggering towards me, leering. God, that pisses me off.

"Oh baby. You look _so_ hot!"

"I'm glad," I tell him sarcastically. "After all, that is the important thing, isn't it?"

He came so close that I could smell his beer breath. Thinking of Marshall was the only thing I could do so that I wouldn't puke. He presses himself against me. I can feel his erection, and I feel dirty.

"You like that?" he hisses.

"_Yeah, baby. You're so sexy!_" I say with my "sexy" voice. I really want to puke now.

He kisses my neck and I tense up. I'm really going to need to scrub hard when I get home. His left hand is gripping my right arm, and his right hand is pulling my face closer to his.

"You know," I try again. "It would be sexier if you could…"

"What?" he asks clearly annoyed.

"Well," I whisper. "I'd be more flexible if you could take off my…"

"_Your?_" he asks eagerly.

I'm surprised he's smart enough to follow what I'm saying.

"My handcuffs…"

His eyes darken. He steps back. "No can do, sweetheart. Now, _shut up_," he says angrily.

He begins to undo my belt. This is the last straw; nobody undoes my belt but me. I kick him in the balls _first_.

"That's for being a pervert!" I grunt.

I karate kick him in the head. He falls to the ground with a thud. That brings the other guys running down the stairs, guns blazing. All I could think of was _I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed_.

"Mary?" I hear Marshall yell.

"Watch out!" I scream.

Bullets are flying everywhere. I yell at Chuck to duck, but its too late. He's already lying on the ground, blood pooling around his head, and dripping from his open mouth.

"Where's my drugs?" thunders Spanky.

All of his lackeys have their guns pointed at me.

"I'm _not_ Brandi!" I yell back at him. Where the _hell_ are Stan and Marshall?

"Get down on the ground!" I hear Stan boom (before I see him) as he shoots a warning shot up into the ceiling. I didn't know that Stan had it in him. Marshall is right behind him along with half the swat squad.

As Marshall leads all the _bad guys_ to the squad car, Stan kneels down by Chuck and shakes his head.

"Why does trouble follow you around?"

"Um Stan," I say sarcastically. "If I wanted to be a pole dancer I would be wearing a thong and a pushup bra."

He stands up and unlocks the handcuffs. "Sorry," he says sheepishly.

He gives me a hug.

"Just take me home," I say with exasperation.

I brush Marshall and Stan off as I stumble out of the car. Brandi, Raph, Jinx and Detective O'Connor are all waiting for me. I ignore Brandi as she starts to say something. I walk right past her into the house and get into the shower. The heat of the shower washes away all the grime that I had to deal with. It must have been an hour I am in the shower, but when I get out Detective O'Connor is still waiting for me.

"Mary," he says business-like.

"Do we really have to do this now?" I whine.

Raph is instantly by my side, but I shrug him off. I'm still pissed that he would house my sister without telling me.

"Detective," Stan says, "it can wait until tomorrow."

Stan turns to me. "Mary, go to bed. We'll deal with this tomorrow."

As my head hits the pillow I am dead to the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Tough Guy

Golden light is streaming into my bedroom causing me to squint. Marshall is sitting in my beanbag chair (I had as a kid), his head is resting on the back of the chair, his neck twisted, as he tries to sleep.

"Marshall," I whisper. "Marshall."

"Hmm…" is his response.

"I need you to do me a favour."

Marshall rubs his eyes. "Is there ever anything else that you ask me?"

I cock my head to the left side as I look at him. "True," I agree.

"Can you just check and make sure that _asshole_ isn't here still?"

"That asshole," says a voice coming from the doorway. _Oh shit_. "…brought you coffee."

I roll my eyes. "Oh my God! You're my hero!" I mock. "I think you're mistaking me for the _Gilmore Girls_!"

Marshall sits up and grins. "_Gilmore Girls?_"

"Well then," he says huffily while his coffee hand retreats.

"Hey! I never said I didn't want it!" I make a grab for the coffee and spill it all over my mattress and his hand.

"Sorry," I mouth at him.

Simultaneously I glare at Marshall. _Shut up!_

Agent O'Conner shrugs off the insult. He continues. "I need you to answer some questions."

"Really? You need me to answer them _now_?"

He proceeds to open his notebook. "Have you ever possessed drugs?"

"Including prescription?" I ask sweetly.

This time Agent O'Conner glares. "_No_. Illegal drugs."

"Obviously," I say as I roll my eyes.

"I can't believe that let you into the Marshal program. Especially with that attitude," he says with his classic deadpan.

"If you don't want to cooperate we can do this down at the station."

Marshall pipes up. "She wants to cooperate. She can stay here."

I turn to him. "Is this what Stan wants? To keep things _under wraps_?"

"Okay!" shouts Agent O'Conner. "Have-you-ever-possessed-or-are-now-in-possession-of-illegal-drugs?"

"No," I answer succinctly.

He scribbles something on his pad.

"Did you know that you're sister, Brandi Shannon was in possession of Heroin?"

"I know who my sister is; thanks for the clarification. And no, I did not know she was in possession of Heroin until you told me."

He scribbles again.

"How does your sister know Spanky?"

"You know," I'm about to take a risk on this one. "That's a very clever name for her paddle," I say sarcastically.

Agent O'Conner stands up. "Turn around!" he says angrily. "Turn around! You are under arrest for impeding an on-going investigation!"

"Oh please," I roll my eyes. "Like that is _impeding_ an investigation."

He pulls out the handcuffs and it brings me back to _that _night.

_Flashback_

"Get down on the floor!" yells Spanky.

I refuse. I stand straight ready to spit in his face.

"Now!"

When I still refuse he kicks me on my kneecaps and I crumble to the floor (in pain).

"I warned you!" he thunders. "Where are my drugs, Brandi?"

"I'm-NOT-Brandi!"

His foot is on my back and pressing down hard. He sees my hand reaching for the left leg.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

"Boss!" comes a shout from upstairs. "You gotta see this!"

"Handcuffs? Do you think you're gonna get lucky?"

Spanky takes my handcuffs and drags me over to a pole across from where Chuck is shaking in fear. He handcuffs me to the pole.

"Hey!" I shout to Spanky's retreating back. "Where's my tip?" I ask snarkily.

He ignores me. They turn up the sound on the television.

"You got me the wrong _fucking_ girl! Are you _fucking _kidding me? She's a _fucking _US Marshal! Are you _fucking_ insane?"

Spanky stomps around upstairs. "I've hired IDIOTS!"

I try to wriggle free, but they are on very tight.

_Present_

"Mary!" Agent O'Conner is waving his hand in front of my face. "Are you okay?"

I nod. "Let's go," he says.

"Can I at least change first?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Note**: "The people you love let you down" is a line from _Veronica Mars_. Also, sorry for not having updated sooner. I forgot I had this written.

Tough Guy

The minute, and I mean the minute that Agent O'Conner leaves my room I tear it apart searching for a sweater. I find one five minutes later, and crack open my bedroom window. I have one foot out the window when I hear him call, "Are you decent?"

"Not yet," I yell back at him. But my voice is shaking a bit, and he can probably tell that I'm lying. I hear my door open just as both feet are firmly planted on the ground. I start running (as fast as I can). I hear him shouting.

"What the hell are you doing?"

But I keep running and I'm pretty sure that whenever he finds me, and I know he will eventually, I'm going to be really screwed. I wonder if they'll let _me_ into the program. I feel my cell phone vibrate in my pocket, but I ignore it. It's either Stan or Marshall. I don't really want to deal with either of them right now.

At the end of my block, that seems to go on forever, there is a small forest that I used to play in as a kid. I know that if I run south it will lead me to a stream that travels all the way up to Route 60, or 50 or something. I wish I were better with directions. I wonder if I'll be able to hitchhike to Canada or someplace.

I can just imagine the fit that Agent O'Conner will throw. Yet Marshall will gladly lecture him that only one in fifty criminals who run from the FBI ever succeed in escaping. But there will probably be more yelling and Stan will be called and squad cars will be out paroling for my _dead body_. But I couldn't deal with him, not today. Not the day after I was almost shot to death by a guy named Spanky.

At three o'clock I feel like I'm in a sauna and thoroughly tired. I give up. I think I miss calculated either the distance to the highway or the direction in which it is located. Up ahead there is a small clearing with a huge rock. Some guy is throwing rocks in the water. As much as he wants the water to ripple all the rocks did was fall to the bottom. Me, on the other hand, I'm a pro. Before my deadbeat dad left he used to take me here all the time. It's one of my favourite places to go when I'm lonely. I only divulge this information to very few people, Marshall included.

"Mary," the man turns to me.

"_Robert_," I reply.

He sighs. "Honestly? I don't want to have to haul your ass in today, but you need to start answer questions, and truthfully this time."

I roll my eyes. "Fine."

"Did you know that your sister and her boyfriend Chuck were in cahoots with Spanky?"

"No."

"Did you…"

"Honestly, Robert? How about I tell you that I did not know about Chuck or Brandi or any drugs, and if I did I would have gone to the police. And no, I did not know that Spanky put hits out on your agents."

For a couple minutes we're both just staring at each other. I've played this game before; I can win. I used to play this game with Brandi my mom and dad had their yelling fits. We couldn't stand them so we retreated into my room and played the staring game. We were usually so focused on the game that we failed to notice the front door slamming shut. When evening, two months after I turned ten, dad left, and for good this time.

"What are you thinking about?" Agent O'Conner asks me.

I guess that's a valid question, but I'm a little surprised he cares.

"I've got sisters, you know. I can tell when something's wrong," he tells me.

I sigh, thereby breaking eye contact.

No, _ha I won_. Just silence.

"I guess I'm just disappointed that my sister would betray me like that."

"Often, people you love let you down."

"Have you learned that on the job?"

"No," he laughs. "_Veronica Mars_."

"Is Veronica a colleague?"

"No," he laughs again. "She's a character on tv."

I look at him incredulously. "Are you seriously quoting a tv character to me?"

He shrugs. "I have a teenage daughter."

I look at him skeptically. Honestly? He does not look old enough to have a daughter.

"I know what you're thinking. I'm not old enough to have a teenage daughter. She's adopted. My wife and I adopted Allie from China. Cliché, I know. But we loved her at first sight. She was ten then. Now she's fifteen."

"Wow."

He looks more serious now. "Okay, I have to haul your ass into the station now."

"Or, you could just pretend we never had this talk and leave me here."

"Are you serious?"

It's my turn to shrug.

"If I do you this favour, just this once, then you must co-operate with us in the future."

I don't even need to think about this. "Deal." We shake on it.

I watch him walk back to his monstrosity of an SUV. Doesn't he know how much those things pollute the earth? I'm surprised he doesn't care more for the world his daughter will have to live in once he's gone. But maybe he thinks that adopting is enough.

I turn back to the water. It is so peaceful. I'm just watching the waves slowly bring the tide in. I must have fallen asleep because I wake up to the vibration of my phone and a kink in my neck and darkness all around.

"Hello?" I groan.

"Where the _hell_ are you?" yells Stan. "Marshall can't find you anywhere!"

"I'm right where I'm supposed to be. On the brink."

"Are you drunk?"

"No."

"Then why are you speaking in moron?"

I roll my eyes. "Give me a break. I'm tired."

"Get your ass home and I'll see you in the morning. You better pray to god that the FBI don't find you first. They are PISSED!"

I hang up on Stan. Probably not the wisest move on my part. But the yelling was really turning me off.

I dial a familiar number.

"Hello? Mary?"

"Are you busy?" I ask.

"Where are you?" I can tell he wants to ask why I bailed so fast, and that I look really guilty. But I don't care. I just want to have a long shower and sleep.

Ten minutes later he is handing his coffee to me. Serves him right for scaring me half to death.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

I know I can always count on Marshall.


	4. Chapter 4

Tough Guy

**Note:** Mary's ring tone is Glory Days by Springsteen. Gotta love The Boss.

"Officers," Jinx giggles. "I'm not drunk."

"Step out of the car please."

"Honestly," she giggles harder, her face getting plum red. "I'm s'not drunks."

"There aren't two officers. There is just one. Me. And I'm asking you to get out of your car."

She starts wiggling the door handle to open, without success. Frustrated, she starts mumbling to herself. "Honestly, I can't…"

As the door opens, she drops her foot down on the pavement and tumbles forward in surprise.

"Easy now," the officer tells her as she falls into his arms.

"Oh man," he says as he wrinkles his nose. "Let's get you home."

***

Agent O'Conner taps his pen on the desk rhythmically.

"Are you going to break out into song?" Mary asks sarcastically. "That tapping is very annoying."

"Well, its not like you've answered any of my questions."

"I hadn't realized you've asked anything worth answering."

Agent O'Conner leans back in his chair and tugs at his tie in frustration. "You are really incorrigible, you know that, right?"

"Ha!" I smirk. "So are you going to let me go or what?"

He rolls his eyes. "I guess I have no choice," he says as he scowls.

I breeze past him on my way out. "You can't resist, can you?"

***

I'm awoken from my nap at three in the afternoon by a sharp rap of knocks on the front door.

"Hello?" I groan.

"Is Jinx Shannon your mother?"

"Are you a cop?"

"I'm wearing the uniform, aren't I?" says the man at the door.

I'm about to turn my back on this asshole, when he says enthusiastically.

"Hey! Aren't you that Marshal that got kidnapped?"

I close the door in his face. As I walk past the kitchen Brandi looks up from studying.

"What?"

"Is that mom at the door?" I roll my eyes at the question. I know that probably sounds very adolescent, but I can't help it. Mom brings out the worst in me.

"You can get the door if you want to deal with that asshole."

Brandi sighs. She gracefully strides towards the door and swings it wide open.

"Hey!" she shouts at the officer's retreating back. "Hey! That's my mother!"

I wish she would just let demons be. But no, her and that asshole had to drag her, staggering, from the car to her bedroom. It took them ten minutes because that asshole kept ogling my sister, and therefore, wasn't watching where he was moving. He let my mother drop _twice_. I fumed from my bedroom window. He should have left her where he found her.

My cell phone rings: _Glory days. Well, they'll pass you by, glory days. In the wink of a young girl's eye, glory days. Glory days._

What? Are you surprised that I'm a rock fan? Plus, it's The Boss, so I can't really refuse, can I?

"Shit," I grumble to myself rummaging through my purse looking for my cell.

When I flip open my phone I bark, "Stan?"

***

I can smell puke from the next room. Perfect.

"Brandi!" I yell.

"Yes, oh wise one," she teases as she enters my sanctuary.

"Since you've taken in our sick mother, you can clean up her messes."

"Oh, so you're Ms. Grumpy today."

"Good God, do you have to speak in Sesame Street?"

_2 hours later_…

"God you're sexy," I moan into Raphael's mouth. "And sweaty," I add, just for good measure.

"Will you marry me?" he asks, throatily from his arousal.

"What?" I screech as I stop mid-thrust.

"Will you _marry_ me?" he asks again.

"Are you on crack?"


End file.
